U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation · 501(c)(3) · Est. 1989 Campaign Live · Phase 2 Open
Cape Canaveral · 1950 to 2025

Seventy-five years of
American spaceflight
has one home.

The Legacy of Launch campaign preserves and rebuilds the launch complexes where the Space Age began. Phase 1 reopened in June 2025. Phase 2 is now underway.

Become a Founder Read the Campaign Brief
$10M
Phase 2 Goal
35 yrs
Foundation Stewardship
6 sites
Historic Complexes
Phase 1
Complete · June 2025
Phase 1 Complete

Sands Space History Center, reopened.

In June 2025 the Sands Space History Center reopened to the public, marking the first completed phase of the Legacy of Launch campaign. New exhibits, restored artifacts, and the rebuilt visitor experience are now operational on the grounds of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum.

Phase 2 expands restoration to Launch Complex 26, Launch Complex 34, and Hangar C: the heart of America's historic spaceport.

Anchor Gift: Jared Isaacman · Commander, Polaris Dawn
Stewardship: U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation
Site: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
Sands Space History Center after Phase 1 restoration
Sands Center · After Phase 1
June 2025
Campaign Progress
Phase 2 of 4
Phase 01
Sands Space History Center
Reopened June 2025
Complete
Phase 02
LC-26, LC-34, Hangar C
$10M campaign goal
Active
Phase 03
LC-14, LC-5 Restoration
Planning 2027
Upcoming
Phase 04
Exploration Tower
Concept design
Upcoming
$500K+
Phase 1 Anchor
$10M
Phase 2 Goal
Established
1989
U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation
The Stewards

The campaign behind Legacy of Launch is the oldest steward of American spaceflight heritage at Cape Canaveral.

The U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has championed the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum for more than thirty-five years. The Foundation is the authorized recipient of all gifts supporting the Museum's exhibits, restoration projects, public tours, and STEM education programs.

Legacy of Launch is the Foundation's anniversary campaign: a single, coordinated effort to rebuild what time has begun to take.

Tax Status
501(c)(3) Nonprofit
Authority
USSF-Recognized
Founded
1989
The Campaign

Five ways to build what comes next.

Each tier carries a defined role in the Phase 2 rebuild. Named placements at Launch Complex 26, Launch Complex 34, Hangar C, and the Sands Center galleries are reserved and assigned in private conversation.

I
Founding Patron $5M and above
Title SponsorshipTitle sponsor of a launch complex restoration. Named placement on permanent exterior architecture. Lifetime founding-patron recognition across the campaign and the Museum.
Private Inquiry
II
Founder $1M – $5M
Named Gallery or HallNamed gallery, hall, or major exhibit within the Sands Center or a Phase 2 launch complex. Founders' wall recognition and private docent program.
Private Inquiry
III
Anchor $250K – $1M
Restoration SponsorSponsorship of a specific artifact, mission control restoration, or pad-adjacent installation. Named recognition at the installation site.
Private Inquiry
IV
Champion $50K – $250K
Programs & EducationNamed STEM cohort, education series, or VIP tour program. Recognition in the Sands Center and on the Legacy of Launch campaign record.
Begin Giving
V
Supporter Up to $50K
General CampaignGeneral campaign support. Donor recognition in the campaign honor roll and the Sands Center visitor experience.
Give Now
The Founder Program

A small circle of patrons shaping the next seventy-five years.

The Founder program is an invitation-led group of philanthropists, families, and institutions making transformative commitments to the campaign. Founders are recognized in permanent architectural placement, hosted at private events at Cape Canaveral, and consulted directly on the trajectory of the rebuild.

Founding Anchor
Jared Isaacman · Commander, Polaris Dawn
01
Permanent placement
Architectural recognition at the Sands Center or a Phase 2 launch complex.
02
Private convening
Hosted access to closed events at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
03
Direct counsel
Consulted on the campaign's trajectory and on Phase 3 site selection.
Jared Isaacman
“

I am pleased to support the USSF's mission to preserve and promote the rich heritage of space development, education, and exploration.

Jared IsaacmanCommander, Polaris Dawn
Private Inquiry

For prospective Founders and major donors.

  • A confidential briefing with the campaign leadership
  • Private site walk of Phase 2 complexes at Cape Canaveral
  • Named-placement options reviewed in person
  • Tax structuring for stock, DAF, and planned gifts
Request a Briefing
Replies within 48 hours · Confidential
The Sites

The ground where America first reached space.

Six historic complexes form the spine of the campaign. Each carries its own restoration plan, its own named placement opportunities, and its own role in the rebuilt visitor experience.

Launch Complex 26
Jan 31, 1958
LC-26 · Phase 2

Birthplace of the Space Age

Where Explorer 1, America's first satellite, soared into orbit and revealed the Van Allen radiation belts that opened the Space Age.

Restoration Sponsor Available
Launch Complex 34
Jan 27, 1967
LC-34 · Phase 2

The Apollo 1 Memorial

Hallowed ground where Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee gave their lives. Their sacrifice strengthened the resolve to reach the Moon.

Founder Placement Reserved
Launch Complex 14
Feb 20, 1962
LC-14 · Phase 2

Where John Glenn Orbited Earth

The pad that sent Friendship 7 into orbit and made John Glenn the first American to circle the planet.

Founder Placement Reserved
Launch Complex 5
May 5, 1961
LC-5 · Phase 2

America's First Astronaut

Launch Complex 5, where Alan Shepard rode Freedom 7 into history as America's first astronaut.

Anchor Sponsor Available
Hangar C
Cold War
HGR-C · Phase 2

The Hidden Archive

Cold War rockets, Redstone prototypes, and Titan-era hardware. A collection unmatched anywhere in the country.

Restoration Sponsor Available
Sands Space History Center
Reopened 2025
SNDS · Complete

The Sands Center

The Foundation's flagship public experience. Reopened June 2025 with new exhibits, restored artifacts, and the rebuilt visitor program.

Phase 1 · Complete
Where Gifts Go

What your gift actually does.

$25K
Per Restoration Cycle

Artifact Restoration

Funds one full conservation cycle for a major artifact: a launch console, a flight-flown component, or a period-correct restoration.

$100K
Per STEM Cohort

STEM Education

Underwrites a full annual cohort of Florida students through the Sands Center's hands-on space education program.

$500K
Per Exhibit Hall

New Exhibit Hall

Funds the design, fabrication, and installation of a new permanent exhibit hall at the Sands Center.

$2.5M
Per Pad Restoration

Pad Restoration

Funds the structural restoration and public-access infrastructure for a single historic launch complex.

Ways to Give

Built for every kind of gift.

The Foundation accepts every major giving vehicle used by individuals, families, and institutions. Gifts of appreciated securities, donor-advised funds, and qualified charitable distributions are encouraged.

All gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law and are receipted directly by the U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation.

U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation, Inc.
EIN furnished on request · 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization
01 · Online

Credit or Debit

Make a one-time or recurring gift online via the Foundation's secure giving portal.

Give Online
02 · Securities

Appreciated Stock

Transfer appreciated securities directly for a full fair-market deduction and capital-gains avoidance.

Request Wire Instructions
03 · DAF

Donor-Advised Fund

Recommend a grant from your DAF at Fidelity Charitable, Schwab, Vanguard, or your community foundation.

DAF Grant Details
04 · IRA

Qualified Charitable Distribution

If you are 70½ or older, give directly from your IRA up to the annual QCD limit, tax-free.

QCD Instructions
05 · Planned

Planned & Legacy Gifts

Include the Foundation in your estate plan, charitable trust, or beneficiary designations.

Planned Giving
06 · By Check

By Mail

U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation
Sands Space History Center
100 Space Port Way, Bldg. 90328
Cape Canaveral, FL 32920

321-853-9171
The Invitation

Help preserve the ground America launched from.

Phase 1 is finished. Phase 2 is open. The next chapter of Cape Canaveral will be shaped, in large part, by the people who choose to build it now.

Become a Founder Make a Gift